It certainly looks like the Emotiva could be a viable alternative for those waiting for the Audiolab DQ model. The only thing missing is the analogue inputs. Is Item Audio the only distributor in the UK?
We recently imported the first batch of DACs and amps into the UK on a trial basis, and are in discussion with Emotiva about this. Because their business was built on a direct-to-customer model, they do not have any official international distributors - just like Wyred 4 Sound in the early days.
However, shipping costs of their amps in particular are inevitably huge - and there are the import fees, blah, blah blah . . . which creates a need for at least a local foothold in other countries.
At the moment, we're effectively acting as a focal point for group buys, and discussing more permanent distribution arrangement with Emotiva. Basically, their products looked so great, we couldn't resist them.